{{Short description|English cricketer and fencer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = David Acfield | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|07|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = Chelmsford, Essex, England | height = 5 ft 9 in |module={{infobox cricketer |child=yes | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm off-break | club1 = Cambridge University | year1 = 1966–1972 | club2 = Essex | year2 = 1966–1986 | columns = 2 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 420 | runs1 = 1,677 | bat avg1 = 8.18 | 100s/50s1 = 0/0 | top score1 = 42 | deliveries1 = 67,660 | wickets1 = 950 | bowl avg1 = 28.21 | fivefor1 = 34 | tenfor1 = 4 | best bowling1 = 8/55 | catches/stumpings1= 138/– | column2 = List A | matches2 = 160 | runs2 = 104 | bat avg2 = 5.77 | 100s/50s2 = 0/0 | top score2 = 9* | deliveries2 = 6,419 | wickets2 = 152 | bowl avg2 = 27.25 | fivefor2 = 2 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 5/14 | catches/stumpings2= 27/– | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4762/4762.html CricketArchive | date = 25 June | year = 2021 }} |module2={{infobox fencer |country=United Kingdom, England |hand=Right |retired=1972 |child=yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Fencing}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|British Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold| 1970 Edinburgh | team sabre}} }} }} '''David Laurence Acfield''' (born 24 July 1947) is an English former first-class cricketer<ref>[https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/david-acfield-8484 David Acfield], CricInfo. Retrieved 25 June 2021.</ref> who was also a champion fencer.

==Cricket career== He was part of the successful Essex County Cricket Club team of the late 1970s and early 1980s and formed a noted county spin partnership with Ray East. He was a right-arm off break bowler and right-handed tail-end batsman. He played for Cambridge University from 1966 to 1968 and Essex from 1966 to 1986. He also appeared for MCC in 1973–74 and 1974. He was awarded his Essex cap in 1970 and had his Essex benefit season in 1981.

He took 10 wickets in a match 4 times and 5 wickets in an innings 34 times. His best first-class figures, 8 for 55, came against Kent. Acfield was no batsman, failing to score a first-class fifty in 417 innings. His best score, 42, came against Leicestershire. His lack of batting ability, and strong competition from the likes of Fred Titmus and John Emburey, told against his chances of Test selection, although he was on the 'long list' for inclusion in the English team that toured West Indies in 1973.

After retiring he remained in the game and served on the ECB's management committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilde |first=Simon |date=18 March 2012 |title=Best & Worst; David Acfield Essex spinner and Olympic fencer |work=The Sunday Times}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/essex/1464530.stm Acfield steps down], ''BBC Sport'', 30 July 2001. Retrieved 25 June 2021.</ref>

==Fencing career== Acfield was also an Olympic fencer, taking part in the 1968 and 1972 Games.<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ac/david-acfield-1.html |title=David Acfield Olympic Results |accessdate=29 December 2010 |work=sports-reference.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104115029/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ac/david-acfield-1.html |archivedate=4 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/lists/102/manual |title=Olympians Who Played First-Class Cricket |work=Olympedia |accessdate=28 July 2020}}</ref>

He represented England and won a gold medal in the team sabre at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.<ref>The Sword magazine, 1966 and 1970{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1970/athletes|title=1970 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1970|title=Edinburgh, 1970 Team|publisher=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/46553|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=11 August 2019|archive-date=11 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811115300/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/46553|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Acfield was a four times British fencing champion, winning the sabre title at the British Fencing Championships for four years in a row, 1969–1972, during which period he was the leading sabre fencer in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishfencing.com/uploads/files/british_champions.pdf |title=British Champions |website=British Fencing |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> He retired from fencing after the 1972 Olympics, preferring to devote himself to cricket as a professional, having previously retained his amateur status to protect his Olympic qualification.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 September 2021 |title=Whatever happened to... David Acfield |pages=98–99 |work=The Cricketer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=David Laurence Acfield |work=Olympics.com|publisher=International Olympic Committee |url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/david-laurence-acfield |access-date=2022-01-23}}</ref>

==Personal life== Acfield attended Brentwood School, and graduated in history from Christ's College, Cambridge. For many years, during his cricket career, he taught history and took nets in winter at Rainsford Comprehensive School, later renamed St Peter's College, Chelmsford.

After his retirement from athletics, Acfield served as an administrator for the England and Wales Cricket Board and later as the president of the Essex County Cricket Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/22077 |title=David Acfield |website=Olympedia |publisher=OLYMadMen |access-date=October 7, 2022}}</ref> He is also a Trustee of the Hornsby Professional Cricketers' Fund charity.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/235561/trustees | title=THE HORNSBY PROFESSIONAL CRICKETERS FUND - Charity 235561 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acfield, David}} Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Essex cricketers Category:English cricketers Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Category:Cambridge University cricketers Category:British male fencers Category:People educated at Brentwood School, Essex Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Category:Olympic fencers for Great Britain Category:Fencers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Category:Fencers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Category:Sportspeople from Chelmsford Category:Fencers at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in fencing Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Category:Young England cricketers Category:Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:Cricketers from Essex Category:20th-century English sportsmen